Our commitment to our clients is foremost
The concept of ‘supported living’ is central to Challenge Trust’s Community Living Services (CLS). This particular type of service encourages, and in fact requires, active participation between the client and their family/whanau or caregiver. Supports are delivered to the client in the setting and community of their choice. CLS teams work within geographical communities to ensure that clients are able to participate without experiencing discrimination.
A partnership exists between the support provider and the clinical team, the end result being collaborative care planning with the client. In Auckland, each CLS team is aligned with a Community Mental Health Centre (CMHC) and both parties provide services to clients within the same area. Challenge Trust’s CLS areas are currently available in the South Auckland region.
Community Services
For the service to be successful for the clients and the community, a significant amount of networking must take place in the communities that clients are associated with. Challenge Trust’s CLS staff continue to build and maintain strong relationships within their geographical areas of responsibility. It is a dynamic process in response to changing client needs, with the main emphasis on inclusion and destigmatisation.
Support and Recovery Path
Challenge Trust is committed to supporting its clients on their journey of recovery. It is integrated into service delivery programmes delivered on a daily basis. Challenge Trust uses highly specialised sets of tools to plan and deliver these supports.
Some of the areas in which the clients are supported include:
What does a Challenge Trust CLS Service look like in action?
An example of a Challenge Trust Package of Care in practice is captured in Linda’s story. Please read on.
LINDA’S SUCCESS STORY
Linda was referred to CLS as she had high and complex needs as well as an unsatisfactory living situation. She was living in a caravan park with her partner. The caravan was sub-standard, which affected the self-esteem of the couple. Linda and her partner, asked for support to find a more suitable accommodation and help with their personal hygiene.
A Challenge Trust CLS worker began to take Linda out and get to know her. It was on one of these outings that Linda explained to the worker that she felt so low and embarrassed about her current situation. She went on to explain that she had a fungal infection on her skin and that soap irritated it. She had no money to see her GP and no money to make a trip to the pharmacy. Linda was concerned she was perceived by members of the community as being smelly and dirty and worried she wouldn’t fit in anywhere else. She had a very low expectation of ever getting out of the situation she found herself in.
The CLS worker organised for her to go to the doctor, get appropriate medical supplies and then worked with Linda to ensure that she used the various creams in the right combination. Linda and her CLS support worker then began flat-hunting. At that time, Linda had huge debts from her past. As a result, she was unable to get a flat in the open market. KEYS 1 were approached and Linda was allocated one of their flats.
Financial assistance was provided and Linda and her partner were able to set up the flat. Linda’s support worker taught her how to maintain her new accommodation. She has since managed to keep the flat in immaculate condition and is extremely proud of her new home.
Linda then identified other areas of her life that she needed support with, which included:
1. Getting a job
2. Meeting with her family (a brother, mother and daughter)
3. Learning more about her Maoritanga
CLS worked alongside Linda to help get a job and meet up with her family. Linda is of Maori lineage so Mahitahi, as one of the registered MCS providers, was approached. This would ensure that contact with the family was culturally appropriate and that they could also assist with understanding the Maoritanga.
Fifteen months later, Linda works 40hrs per week and has regular contact with her brother. Her brother is assisting her with her whakapapa and is also working with Linda’s daughter to encourage her to meet with her mother.
1 This is a joint venture involving CMDHB. Pathways and Housing New Zealand. Housing New Zealand provides Keys with a stock of housing and then Keys become the Landlord. The housing is exclusively for CLS clients.
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